A minister has so many jobs. He teaches, he corrects, he encourages, he visits the sick, and he is constantly thinking of new ways to share the Gospel with the people around him, among many other things. What does the word minister actually mean? It means to serve.
Every Christian’s Call to Serve in Ministry
Who is called to be a minister? It may surprise you to know that we are all, as Christians, called to ministry. Paul is uniquely qualified to explain to us what that actually looks like.
Paul’s Example: Called to Serve
Most of us know that Paul's calling was to be a "servant for Christ," a minister and an apostle, who was set apart for the Gospel (Romans 1:1). Paul recognized and fulfilled the task the Holy Spirit impressed on him to do, which was to spread the Good News to the Gentiles. Paul's missionary journeys carried him from Jerusalem, throughout Asia Minor, Macedonia (Greece) and to Rome. He even intended to preach to those as far away as Spain, but we don't know if he was ever able to go there (Romans 15:24).
Equipping the Saints for Ministry
Paul's missionary ministry is what we think of when someone talks about being an evangelist or a pastor. Scripture makes it clear that every Christian is called to serve in ministry, not just those in leadership roles. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:11-12 that the reason some are called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers is so that those people can "equip the saints for the work of ministry."
Our Ministry Responsibilities
You and I are those saints if we belong to Jesus. We are being equipped to minister. What is expected of us in the role of minister? Colossians 3:16 lists some of these jobs that we should do for each other:
teach
admonish - which means to gently caution, warn, or encourage another Christian to do or not do something.
sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs - yes, we are told to sing to each other.
Galatians 5:13 tells us that in love we should serve one another. In 1 Peter 4:10, Peter explains that each of us has a gift that is to be used to serve others.
Spiritual Gifts in Ministry
Paul explains in Romans 12:6-8 that our gifts are different "according to the grace given to us". These include:
prophecy - declaring a prophecy is from God.
service - providing help to others in the right way at the right time.
teaching - when people explain the Word to us in the Spirit.
exhorting - this means encouraging or urging someone.
contributing - sometimes called the gift of giving.
leadership - a person who can motivate with zeal and lead a group in the way the Holy Spirit desires.
mercy - either showing others the forgiveness Christ offers or ministering to those in need, but always with cheerfulness.
Unity in Diversity: The Body of Christ
1 Corinthians 12: 8-10 has another list of gifts. But no matter what gift we have, it is to be used for others. They are all gifts of God. We are all one body in Christ, but as Paul says elsewhere, the body has many parts that function differently. All those parts are necessary (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Your gift, even if you think it is small, can be used, and should be used, in service or in ministry to our Lord.
The Parable of the Talents: A Call to Faithful Stewardship
Perhaps we have felt envious of others, who we may feel have a more important gift than ours, but we are told repeatedly that all gifts are of value. Maybe we have a gift we have never used. Maybe we have allowed fear to keep us from using our gifts. Jesus spoke about this in the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-30. He begins by saying, "The kingdom of Heaven is like...."
In this parable we read about a man traveling to a far country for an extended period of time. He leaves three men (stewards) in charge of his wealth. To one man he gives five talents, to another, two, and to the last man, one. This was a considerable amount of money. Each steward was given money based on his ability.
These men should have understood the spirit in which the money was given. The first two men successfully turned a one hundred percent profit on the money, but the third man, who feared his master, buried his talent in the ground so as not to lose it. When the master returned the men who gained a profit are praised, given even more responsibilities, and allowed to enter into the joy of their lord. Sadly, though the fearful steward was rejected and punished and the one coin he had was taken away.
Because we know one day Jesus will return, like the master in the parable, we must be keenly aware that while He is gone, we have responsibilities. We need to know our master and His expectations while He is gone, in the same way that the profitable stewards did. We don't want to be like the lazy, fearful steward who sat back and did nothing while his master was gone. His opportunities were wasted.
God’s Provision and Our Accountability
It is God who has given us everything we have. All our talents, gifts and abilities come from Him. By using those gifts for His kingdom, they multiply and are used in ways far beyond our ability to understand. We are accountable for how we use the blessings and gifts we have been given.
Judgment: Serving the Least of These
Jesus continues in Matthew 25:31-46 to discuss the coming judgment of mankind. He speaks of His sheep on His right hand who fed Him, clothed Him, gave Him water, took care of Him in sickness, and visited Him in prison. The sheep are confused, not understanding that when they did it to the least of the people around them they were doing it for Him. Their love for others was proof of their love for Him. They had a servant's heart. The sheep are rewarded with eternal life.
The goats, on the other hand, did not do those things for Him because they didn't care for the least of the people. They are sent to everlasting punishment. The people who did not show love, who did not serve others, were never His. They were never ministers of others. As 1 John 4:20 reminds us, "If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?"
The Ministry of Reconciliation
Our ministry extends beyond showing love to others. We are told to have a ministry of reconciliation. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:18 that because we have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, meaning that our sin was removed once for all, we now have a "ministry of reconciliation." He continues in 2 Corinthians 5:20 to say that God makes "His appeal through us." Our ministry as Christians is to tell others about Jesus' saving grace. In reality, this is showing true love to others. This is not just the job of missionaries or pastors standing before us on Sunday morning.
Serving in the Footsteps of Christ
Finally, Matthew 20:28 reminds us that we serve because He served. Jesus didn't come to the world to be served; no, he came to serve others and this is what He expects of us. This service, our ministry, to others is to show Christ and His love to a lost and dying world. We do this through using the gifts He has given us through the Holy Spirit. Whether our gifts are many or few, they come from Him so that through them we can bless others.
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